As a blogger, I get quite a few questions about my camera, lens, and how le bf and I shoot outfit photos for Style Blog. So when Canon approached me to become one of their Blogtography ambassadors, I almost immediately said yes! I’ve been a fan of the brand since 2009 when le bf bought me my first DSLR camera – Canon EOS Rebel XSi, but shamefully, I’ve never really learned to use all of its features, choosing to shoot on Auto instead. Well, after attending my first Canon Blogtography session, I picked up a few beginner photography tips that I can share with you! I am still learning to use my new Canon EOS Rebel SL1 (World’s smallest and lightest DSLR!), so stay tuned for my journey from amateur to…well, a more capable amateur. Because let’s face it…I don’t think I’ll become a pro in the next few months…but I do hope that you’ll be able to notice the difference in the photos you see on this site.

Canon Blogtography Tips:

– Instead of shooting on Auto all the time, try using the Av and Tv functions. Av stands for Aperture Value, and is useful when you have to adjust the depth of field (how much of the background you want blurred out or not at all), while Tv stands for Time Value, and should be used to adjust the shutter speed – the quicker the speed, the sharper the image.

– Think of Aperture and Shutter Speed as balanced variables. If your settings are giving you a good exposure but you want to increase the size of your Aperture by one stop (or click) – you will also need to decrease your shutter speed by one stop to get the same balanced exposure.

– A photo’s exposure determines how light or dark it will appear, and exposure meter setting can help you manually adjust the amount of light you want to see in your photo. I guess technically it’s supposed to let you know whether your photo is under or overexposed, but I think adjusting the light via this little setting has been one of my fave tricks.

– If you are a beginner, don’t worry about ISO! While exposure is composed of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, as long as you know how to adjust the first two, the camera will get the shot on Auto ISO. One less setting to worry about…for now.

– For more tips and tricks on using your Canon camera outside of the Auto setting, check out Canon Outside of Auto – it’s a really cool site where you can actually practice what you learn!

Fall is the most dangerous time of the year…for my wallet. What with gorgeous coats, boots, and leather pieces all over the place, I can’t help but drool over so many (too many) things. And while I try to be good most of the time, some things are just necessities. Or at least that’s what I keep telling myself.

Above are just a few of those “necessities” of mine. Curious to know what yours are. Share in the comments!

A lot of you have emailed/tweeted asking about my must-have pieces for fall, and while my own wishlist is coming soon, I asked some of my favorite Canadian fashion insiders to share their fall picks with you! Read all about them below, and take note!

This weekend, le bf and I went to the CNE, to play silly games, eat Tiny Tom’s donuts, check out the food trucks, and just enjoy the annual fun fest. And let me tell you…it was FUN-tabulous!

I tried to win Super Domo in the Bowler Roller game, but couldn’t get to the 5th upgrade, so we took home a pink flamingo instead. Le bf also won me a Minion from the Despicable Me movie – I’ve always wanted one! Nothing like two stuffed toys to make this blogger happy.

After the games, we made our way to the International Pavilion, where I found an amazing life-sized cut-out of Fabio, which in retrospect, I wish I’d bought…because who wouldn’t want Fabio in their living room every single day? The store also had Elvis, Harry Potter, Batman, and others…but sadly, no cut-outs of Ryan Gosling or Michael Fassbender. But I guess those two’ve got nothing on Fabio.

What about you? Are you taking advantage of the last sunny days of summer? Let me know in the comments.

Last time I blogged this dress, I paired it with comfy flats and silver accessories…this time, I wore it with heels and gold accents. The fact that I love it both ways just speaks to the versatility and wearability of this dress, which is probably why I wore it so many times this summer! Maybe it’s the color…or the pleats…whatever it is, it makes me happy when I wear it, and I think it shows.

Do you have a piece of clothing that makes you feel better the moment you put it on? What is it? Let me know in the comments!

I’ve been looking at this dress on ASOS for months, unsure whether to order it or not. And now, so close to the end of summer, I finally gave in, and ordered it. It’s somewhat see-through, and the back is a bit too low-cut for me, but I love the cheerful combo of these multi-color stripes too much to return it. Le bf definitely doesn’t like the baggy fit, but for me – the extra volume adds to the breeziness of this fun maxi. It’s simply perfect on those hot and sticky days. Plus, it’s not the first, nor the last piece of clothing le bf and I will disagree on.

What a weekend we’ve had! So many things to do: Canada Day, Pride Parade, Spain vs. Italy Euro Cup final, Toronto Ribfest, perfect weather for cottage-ing + beach-ing…As I said – a ton of things to do. So not to miss out on the festivities, le bf and I had to do a bit of running around. Of course, we watched the final, rooting for my beloved Spain (and my beloved Iker Casillas…damn, he’s hot!), and after the opponents were destroyed, we made our way to Church Street to dance in the streets, and partake in the festivities.

I think my outfit was pretty appropriate for both events – yellow and red for Spain, and a bunch of other colors for Pride! Also a little bit of red and white for Canada Day too. Three events – one outfit. Easy, peasy.

What about you? Did you end up as busy as us this weekend? Share in the comments!

Nine West Canada asked me to tell them what a typical day in my life looked like, and so I told them! Go and visit their new(ish) Tumblr page, if you are curious to know what it is I do all day. As it turns out – it’s fairly difficult to remember to take photos of your outfit/shoes/things you do, while you are running around town from meeting to meeting, to lunch, to events, etc…so those pics may or may not have been taken over the course of a week. But I sure did wear these lovely Pamper shoesies all week long…because they go with everything. Seriously, if you want your legs to look long, invest in a pair of nude-colored heels, and you’re set for the summer. Oh, and they are on sale now too. You’re welcome.

I wore this outfit in Florence to dinner with le bf…who by then has become le husband…and it was (possibly) our first date night as husband and wife together…ever! So…I apologize for the lack of detail shots…as we were in a rush and took only a couple of photos, before running through the streets of Firenze, across Arno, and to our fave restaurant in Italy – 4 Leoni. If you’re ever in Florence, you must go there, and order some pear ravioli. It will change your life.

I am almost out of vacation/honeymoon outfit posts, and it makes me incredibly sad. It’s weird, isn’t it? After a week or two of travelling, I am almost always ready to go home, sleep in my own bed, and stop living out of a suitcase. But then like clockwork, a couple of weeks after I get back, I am itching to go away again. So what I’m really saying is…where should I go to next??? Any suggestions? Share them in the comments.

WHAT I WORE

WHO IS NELIA?

Nelia Belkova is a Toronto-based fashion and lifestyle blogger by night and a financial analyst by day. She loves to travel, read gossip sites, eat sweets, and cuddle up to her husband and her cat on the couch. Read More…